_Adjusts apron with a confident hair flip_
Oh. My. Goodness. Ladies and gentlemen, get ready to absolutely wow your dinner guests with this insanely delicious Chinese-style Orange Chicken that’ll make your local takeout spot jealous! Trust me, as someone who’s burned more dishes than I’d like to admit, I’ve perfected this recipe through countless trials (and maybe a few smoke detector incidents 😅).
Let’s create some magic in the kitchen with this restaurant-quality dish that’ll have everyone begging for seconds!
For the mouth-watering sauce, you’ll need:
– 1 cup fresh orange juice (please, for the love of good food, skip the concentrate!)
– 2 tablespoons orange zest
– 1/4 cup rice vinegar
– 1/4 cup soy sauce
– 1/2 cup brown sugar
– 2 cloves minced garlic
– 1 tablespoon grated ginger
– 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you’re feeling spicy 😉)
For the chicken:
– 2 pounds chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
– 2 eggs
– 1 cup cornstarch
– Salt and pepper to taste
– Oil for frying
Now, here’s where the magic happens! First, let’s get that chicken super crispy. Season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper, dip them in beaten eggs, and coat them in cornstarch. Make sure each piece is well-coated – we want that perfect crunch!
Speaking of perfect recipes, if you’re loving this one so far, make sure to follow me on Newsbreak for daily doses of culinary inspiration! I share everything from quick weeknight dinners to fancy weekend feasts.
Heat your oil in a large wok or deep pan until it’s nice and hot (around 350°F if you’re fancy enough to have a thermometer). Fry the chicken in batches until golden brown – about 3-4 minutes per batch. Don’t overcrowd the pan, honey! Nobody likes a crowded party, right?
While your chicken is doing its thing, whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a separate pan. Bring it to a simmer and let it reduce until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon – usually takes about 8-10 minutes. The aroma will drive you crazy, I promise!
Once all your chicken is fried to perfection, toss it in that gorgeous orange sauce until every piece is generously coated. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, and serve over steaming white rice.
_Chef’s kiss_
Y’all, this dish is seriously everything! The combination of crispy chicken and that sweet-tangy orange sauce is absolutely divine. My husband literally does a happy dance every time I make this (it’s adorably embarrassing 😂).
If you enjoyed this recipe as much as I enjoyed sharing it, pretty please follow me on Newsbreak for more drool-worthy recipes! And don’t be shy – drop a comment below and let me know how it turned out for you. Did you add your own twist? Did your family fight over the last piece? I want to hear all about it!
Remember, cooking is all about having fun and maybe creating a little chaos in the kitchen. As my grandmother always said, “The messier the kitchen, the better the meal!” (Though my cleaning-obsessed mother would strongly disagree 😅)
Until next time, happy cooking, darlings! 💋
